TRADE TALK > news from across the UK hospitality industry
CURRENT AFFAIRS
Theresa May signs letter to formally begin Brexit process
Prime minister Theresa May has formally signed the letter which will signify the UK ’ s departure from the European Union ( EU ).
Triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty , the document will be the beginning of the end of the United Kingdom ’ s forty-four year membership with the EU .
The letter was delivered to the president of the European Council , Donald Tusk , and it is expected that the Brexit process will take up to two years to be fully established .
May addressed MPs in Parliament at the same time that Britain ’ s ambassador Tim Barrow handed over the letter to Tusk . She stressed the importance of uniting Britain to fellow MPs and promised to “ represent every person in the whole United Kingdom ” during the negotiation process .
She outlined the steps that will be taken during the Brexit procedure on a BBC One programme . Negotiations for Brexit are expected to begin in May .
Credit - Crown Copyright
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DEVELOPMENTS
Neville and Giggs to revise Manchester hotel development
Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs have announced they will revise their controversial St Michael ’ s development in Manchester .
The former Manchester United stars have asked Manchester City Council to delay making a decision on whether to allow the plans , which include a 201-bedroom luxury hotel , to go ahead .
The 700,000 sq ft St . Michael ’ s development plan was set to include two bronze skyscrapers of 21 and 31 storeys , a five-star hotel , apartments , office space , three public spaces , a new synagogue and 30,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space .
However , the scheme saw a backlash from conservation groups with Historic England claiming the plans would cause “ irreparable damage ” and “ erase ” the area ’ s history .
Neville announced the decision to rethink the plans at the MIPIM property exhibition in Cannes , but said he still believed in the “ scale ” of the plans which he wants to be “ perfect ”.
“ From our point of view there is no doubt that some of the suggestions , made to us during the consultation process , we need to listen to . We need to refine certain aspects of it and make changes to certain aspects ,” he said .
SPRING BUDGET
Government unveils £ 300m business rate relief fund
The government has helped soften the blow of this month ’ s business rate revaluation with a £ 300m relief fund for local councils .
The announcement was made by chancellor Philip Hammond at last month ’ s Spring Budget , in which he said business rates raise £ 25bn each year - all of which , by 2020 , will be used to fund local government .
In addition , Hammond pledged no business losing small business rate relief will see their bill increase next year by more than £ 50 a month , while all pubs with a rateable value of less than £ 100,000 will get a £ 1,000 discount on business rate bills - equating to 90 % of pubs .
Taken together , the government ’ s measures amount to a total £ 435m cut in business rates , targeted at “ small businesses facing the biggest increases , protecting our pubs , and giving local authorities the resource to respond flexibly to local circumstances ”, he said .
www . hotelowner . co . uk April 2017